When I was roughly seventeen years old I was introduced to a private beach 10.2km North of Grand Bend by a young lady that I was seeing at the time. Up until that point in my life, all of my beach time had been spent on the beautiful white sand beachs of Ipperwash, 20 min south of Grand Bend, where my family has had a trailer for at least 30 years. When you are raised 20 min from a great public beach, and also have a swimming pool in your back yard, there isn't alot of reasons to go looking for a new swimming hole.
The concept of a private beach changed all that for me. While not technically private, it is far enough removed from the zoo that is the main beach at the Bend that it sees very little tourist traffic.
Located right on Highway 21 between Grand Bend and St. Joseph, the rocky beach at Sararas Road can be found at the bottom of a 40' cliff, well away from the eyes of passing motorists and day-trippers. The most other people I have ever encountered at Sararas Road could easily be counted on two hands. Hard to believe when you consider that the main Beach at Grand Bend can see upwards of 80,000 people on a long weekend in the Summer.
Since I have been lucky enough to work in the Grand Bend area for the last 12 years, the beach at Sararas Road has been the site of many wonderful afternoons and evenings spent basking in the summer sun, soaking up the rays and having a blast with my friends and Co workers. The other draw? Besides being off the radar for tourists, unlike the other beaches in the area, the water at Sararas Road is virtually always crystal clear, and in late July/August, I swear that it is 5-9 degrees warmer than any of the other local beaches.
Some of my fondest memories of this beach involve late night, post show bonfires with the ever evolving gang from the Huron Country Playhouse. Smores have been roasted, beverages consumed, and many a rendition of brown eyed girl butchered over the wrong 3 chords on a countles number of guitars. Trips to this beach have become a tradition with Playhouse Staff over the years, so much so that I especially enjoy introducing new employees to it each and every season. Someone has to carry on the tradition once I'm gone...not that I'm going anywhere anytime soon. One year we even planned an official Drayton Entertainment Social Comitee Day Trip down to this beach where 30+ of my coworkers drove down from Kitchener/Waterloo to spend the day at this specific beach.
Last week we had another opportunity to plan another imprompto trip to the beach at Sararas Road, and it was glorious. I was the first to arrive at 2pm since my show had been cancelled, but I was soon joined by the rest of the gang. All told there were 5 Stage Managers, 3 actors, 1 Costume Designer, 3 Technicians, and a Dresser in attendance. A great blend of old friends and new friends, I couldn't have asked for better company.
It was about 32 degrees in the sun plus humidity, and the crystal clear water was reminiscent of soaking in a bath tub. Incredible. As always, we came prepared with a selection of beverages, tall boys that you dare not drink on the local public beaches, and everyone did there own thing for the afternoon. Some of the ladies brought books, while the rest of us frolicked in the water and on the sand. Personally, I hardly left the water all afternoon, and thanks to copious amounts of sunscreen, I didnt burn. This time ;) We called it quits as the sun began to set, sinking into Lake Huron in a glorious display that lit up the July sky with a brilliant wash of pink, orange and red. It was a day I won't soon forget.
A perfect Summer day.
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